The Youngest Foot Soldier: The Story of Ruby Bridges

On November 14, 1960, a six-year-old girl in a starched white dress and Mary Janes walked up the steps of William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans. Flanked by four towering federal marshals, Ruby Bridges wasn't just going to first grade—she was walking into the pages of history.

Early Life and Birth

Ruby Nell Bridges was born on September 8, 1954, in Tylertown, Mississippi. Her birth coincided with the landmark year of Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court ruling that declared segregated schools unconstitutional. At age two, her parents, Abon and Lucille Bridges, moved the family to New Orleans in search of better economic opportunities.

A Historical Turning Point

Despite the 1954 ruling, southern schools remained largely segregated for years. In 1960, a federal court ordered New Orleans to desegregate. Ruby was one of six Black children to pass an intentionally difficult entrance exam designed to limit integration. While her father initially feared for their safety, her mother insisted on the move, believing it would provide Ruby with a better education and pave the way for all children.

Life at William Frantz Elementary

Ruby’s first year of school was an exercise in extreme isolation and resilience:

• The Escort: Due to violent mobs, Ruby had to be escorted by U.S. Marshals every day.

• The Boycott: Angry white parents pulled their children from the school; for a year, Ruby was the only student in her class.

• A Dedicated Teacher: Only one teacher, Barbara Henry, was willing to teach Ruby. She taught her one-on-one "as if she were teaching a whole class."

• Daily Threats: Protesters outside the school threatened to poison her and even displayed a Black doll in a coffin.

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Philosophy and Personal Conviction

Ruby Bridges often speaks of the "innocence of a child" as her guiding philosophy. She famously noted that at six years old, she didn't fully understand the weight of the racism she faced—at one point, she even thought the screaming crowds were part of a Mardi Gras celebration.

"Racism is a grown-up disease and it is time we stop using kids to spread it." — Ruby Bridges

Her philosophy centers on the idea that hate is a learned behavior and that education is the primary tool for dismantling prejudice.

Controversy and Hardship

The Bridges family paid a high price for their courage:

• Economic Retaliation: Her father was fired from his job, and grocery stores refused to sell to her mother.

• Family Impact: Her grandparents were evicted from the farm where they had sharecropped for 25 years.

• Historical Accuracy: There is often debate regarding her status as "the first." While she was the first to desegregate an all-white school in the Deep South, other students had desegregated schools in border states and the North years prior.

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Legacy and Major Achievements

Today, Ruby Bridges is a celebrated author and activist. Her impact is felt through several milestones:

• The Ruby Bridges Foundation: Established in 1999 to promote tolerance and social justice through education.

• Presidential Recognition: Awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal in 2001 by President Bill Clinton.

• Cultural Icon: Her story was immortalized in Norman Rockwell's painting The Problem We All Live With and the Disney film Ruby Bridges.

• Honorary Deputy Marshal: In 2000, she was made an honorary Deputy U.S. Marshal for her bravery.

Sources

• The Ruby Bridges Foundation (https://www.google.com/search?q=rubybridges.com)

• U.S. National Park Service (nps.gov)

• The National Women's Hall of Fame

• PBS American Experience: New Orleans School Desegregation